2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,674 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, alongside 0 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 63/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 76,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990, 1992–1996, 2010, 2012–2013.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all Silverado 1500 years
What owners report
“Brakes failed on highway due to rusted lines. Brakes completely failed. Brake line was so rusted it had a huge hole in it due to the rust.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 1500
“Instrument panel dimmer and lights, speedometer ,fuel,temp ....do not work! Very unsafe!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 1500
“I can hear a thumping coming from the steering column when i hit a bump or turn to the left. I can also feel it in the steering wheel. The dealer said this is a defective intermediate steering shaft and a known issue by gm.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 1500
“Truck will not move initially when put into drive or reverse after it has been parked and just been started . Automatic transmission seems to loose fluid in torque converter after setting. This has been since new and is getting worse.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 1500
“Check engine light is on, fuel gauge not working, had heavy gas fumes when driving and after turning eng off, now i'm seeing gas leaking on pavement coming from underneath and between cab and bed, fumes are very strong, there's some electrical issues with dash lights and starting truck is now not…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 1500
“"takata recall" i drove my truck to the shopping center about 2 miles from my home. Parked and went inside to make a purchase. When i returned to the my truck which was still parked, i turned the ignition key and both airbags exploded.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Silverado 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,390 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 62,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 37,500 and 93,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls
No recall campaigns on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V005000.
Technical service bulletins
814 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 Silverado 1500 TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 reliable?
The 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 drew 1,674 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 63/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are brakes & stability (558 complaints), electrical (457), and steering (120).
At what mileage do 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems around 62,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 37,500 and 93,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 have recalls?
No recall campaigns are on file for the 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check the VIN before buying.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.